doolittle



(NoModel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. vE.. DOOLITTLE.

CORNPLANTBR.

Pateted Mar. Z, 1886.

@.191 Fm eo@ eo (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. M. E. DOOLITTLE.

CORN PLANTBR.

No. 337,313. Patented Mar. z, 1333.

rui-02 L N. PETERS. Pnmn-Limqgmphur, wnsmngmn. |10,

UNTTi-zn STATES PATENT fir-Trice.

MERRITT E. DOOLITTLE, OF TROY, OH-IO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BEEDLE t KELLY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,313, dated March 2. 1886.

Application filed October 2B, 1884. Serial No. 146,688. (No model.) Y

To aZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, MERRITT E. DooLIrrLi-z, a citizen of the United States,residing at Troy, in the county of Miami and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in UornPlanterspf which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. l

My invention relates to improvements in corn-planters of the class employing a main frame mounted upon wheels,cornbined with a runner-frame in front, the two frames being so connected that the planter may be used either as a flexible or rigid machine at pleasure.

It consists in connecting the runner-frame to a foot-lever pivoted on a horizontal shaft on the main-frame, about which it may rock to raise or lower the runner-frame, or to which lower the runner-frame, (when the foot-lever is locked to the shaft,) or it may be locked in any desired position by detent and rack, as

usual. q

lt further consists in an adjustable depthgage so arranged on the seat bow or support as to be within easy reach ofthe driver, andwto lie in the path of the rearward extension of the foot-lever, limiting its range of movement,and consequently the depth to which the runners may penetrate the soil.

In the accompanying drawings, `which illustrate so much of acorn-planter as is essential to a proper description of my invention,Figure 1 is a side elevation, one wheel being removed and the frame partly broken away to show more clearly the special features of my improvement. Fig. 2 is aplan View of the main frame, omitting the runner-frame; and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same,'partly in section, on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. aisaplan piece and part of the hand-lever, and showing .a portion of the foot-lever adjacent thereto.

Fig. 6`is a side elevation, and Fig. 7 a planview, ofthe foot-lever. Fig. 8 shows detailed views of the depth-gage.

The axle A of the main frame is supportedI at its ends by the usual concave coveringwheels, B, and has secured upon it the sidebars, C, these bars being connected and braced at their rear ends bya cross-piece,O, and pro-l vided at their front ends with metallic clippieces c. These clips are securely bolted to the-v bars, and have ribs or flanges projecting from them, forming depending ears, which takeinto suitable clips or castings, c, in the runnerframe, pivot-bolts c2 uniting them to form hinge-joints at these points of connection.

At a suitable distance in front of and above the axle is a casting, D, provided with cyl`indrical ends or trunnions d d, which are journaled, respectively, in a segmental ratchet-' stand, E, attached to one of the side bars, and in a supporting-bracket, F, secured to v4and springing from the axle A, near its middle. This casting constitutes the shaft of the lever system, and carries near its outer end, next the `ratchet-stand, a lever, D, provided with a bolt-head and at the other against an internal d rib, g', in the bore of the chamber, and tends to project the bolt from the socket. At its `outer end the shell of the socket is eut away to form an incline, g2, against which a latch or toe-piece, g3, upon the shank of the bolt bears.` The bolt may be drawn against the thrust of its spring entirely within the chamber and held there by throwing the toe-piece to the position shown by full lines in Figs. 4 and 5,0r may be proj ected therefrom by moving the toe-piece back to the dotted position shown in these figures. A foot-lever, H, is pivoted on the trunnion d of the shaft-casting, and is provided with suitable foot-pieces, h h, and a clip and any one ofthe holes which permit of.

adjusting the point of attachment. The quadrant or guard It' on the foot-lever lies against the face of the shalt-casting, and plays directly in the path ot' the locking-bolt G, preventing its outward movement until the bolt-hole if in the quadrant is brought to register with it.

. The rearward extension ofthe foot-lever plays in a slot or guideway formed by two curved parallel bars, K K, which spring from the axle and constitute the seatbow. Upon this bow is mounted an adjustable depth-gage, L, which consists ot' a plate or block, Z, having a guiderib, Z', upon its upper surface, which fits the slot between the bars K. A bolt, Z2, passes through the gage-block, and is provided with a washer, Z3, and thumb-nut Zi by which the gage may be clamped upon the bars at any suitable point.

The planter may be worked in the usual 1nanner,either as a rigid or a flexible machine.

\Vhen it is desired to lock the two frames, so as to forni a rigid machine, the foot and hand .levers are locked together by the springbolt G, and the desired depth of cut or penetration ofthe runners is secured by means of the hand-lever, which may be rocked to the proper position for this purpose, and there held by its detent engaging the rack. If, while working under these conditions, it should be necessary to momentarily free the runners to permit them to ride over an obstruction,or to force them into a depression in the soil, it may be accomplished without disturbing the position or set of the hand-lever by retrac'ting the spring-bolt G and releasing the foot-lever. This can easily be done by the driver operating the toe-piece g3 ot' the bolt with his foot, and does not necessitate the use of his hands, which may be otherwise employed in the management of his horses. "When thus released, the foot-lever is free to rock on its pivot; or it may be controlled by the driver with his feet on the foot-blocks h, andthe runners elevated or depressed at will. Vhen the obstruction is passed, the machine may be restored to its former rigid condition and depth of cut by again locking the foot-lever to the shaft-casting. To accomplish this,tlie driver with his foot throws the toe-piece g3 back, which permits the spring to act upon the bolt, projecting it forward against the guard it', which checks its further advance until the hole t2-is brought opposite the bolt-,which enters it and prevents further independent movement of the foot-lever.

The driver may, if he wishes to, elevate or depress the runner-frame by means of the hand-lever when the foot-lever is locked to it. This may often be desirable, as for very hasty action, or when a hard lump of soil'is encountered, which requires greater power to cut through or penetrate than can be put upon the runners by foot-pressure alone.

When the machine is to be used continuously in the iiexible conditionthat is, with the foot-lever unlocked froin the shaftcast ing--the depth-gage L may be set to limit the movement ot' the foot-lever,and consequently thedepth to which the runners may penetrate the soil. and in front ot' thelseahis very accessible, and can easily be changed by the driver without his stopping the machine or leaving his seat.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination oi' the main frame of a corn-planter, a hand-lever mounted thereon, a foot-lever connected to the runner-frame and mounted on the main frame concentrically with but independently of the handle-- ver, and a spring-bolt reciprocating in a guideway parallel to the axis of the levers, and provided witha toe-piece for detachably connecting the hand and foot levers,when desired, substantially as hereinbefore set forth. I

2. The combination of the main frame of a corn-planter, a shaft-casting pivoted thereon, a hand-lever rigidly fixed to the shaft and provided with a rack and detent for holding it in position, and a foot-lever pivoted on the shaft and connected by a link on the runnerframe with a bolt mounted in a guideway in the shait-castiug,to lock the foot-lever to said casting,when desired, substantially as hereinbefore set forth. 3. The combination of a shaft-casting, D, formed with a bolt chamber or recess, D', a spring-proj ected bolt lying in the chamber, and

The gage, being upon the seat-bowl IIO a foot-lever pivoted on theshaft and provided with an apertured quadrant or guard Alying in the path of the bolt, which quadrant checks the outward movement of the bolt until the aperture is presented to it, substantially as hereinbefore set forth. l

4. The shaft-casting,r D, formed with a boltchamber, D', having an inclined end portion or face, a bolt and suitable ejectingspring within the chamber, and a toe-piece or latch secured to the outer end of said bolt,'wl1ich, bearing against the inclined face, is adapted by partial rotation to retract the bolt against the thrust of its spring, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

5. The combination ofthe main frame of a corn-planter, a foot-lever pivoted thereon and connected to the runner-frame, and an adjustable `gage mounted on the seat-standard and lying in the path of the foot-lever, to limit its movement, and through it the depth to which the runners may penetrate or out the soil, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

6. The combination of the main frame of a corn-planter, a slotted seat support or bow, a foot-lever pivoted on the main frame and having one of its extensions playing in the slot in the seat-bow, and a depth-gage which crosses xo said slot, and may be clamped at any point along the bow, to limit the movement of the foot-lever, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

Mnnnrrr E. DooLrTTLE. 

